Sticky Toffee Chocolate Cake
A twist on the British dessert Sticky Toffee Pudding

Yield: 12 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour + cooling

INGREDIENTS

CAKE
8oz pitted Medjool dates (from the refrigerated section)
10oz (283g) dark chocolate, separated
2 3/4 cups (331g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) unsalted butter
1 cup (198g) packed brown sugar
1 cup (198) granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
¾ cup (177ml) sour cream
½ cup (118ml0 brewed coffee

SYRUP
3 tablespoons (33g) packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons (43ml) brewed coffee

GLAZE
½ cup (99g) brown sugar
¼ cup (4 tablespoons, 57g) butter
⅓ cup (75ml) heavy cream
Chocolate (from above)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan.

Chop the chocolate into chip sized pieces. Set aside 2 ½ oz of the smaller pieces and shavings for the glaze, keeping 7 ½ oz for the cake.

Chop the dates into small pieces (they will become a sticky mass but will separate later) and set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and coffee until smooth. Then add dates and stir until the sticky mass has mostly broken up.

Beat in ⅓ of flour mixture until just combined. Then beat in ½ of the date mixture until just combined. Repeat. Add remaining flour mixture with chopped chocolate and beat until no flour streaks remain. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

While cake is baking, bring the syrup ingredients to a boil in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Brush on the inverted cake while still hot.

For the glaze: melt the butter in a saucepan, then add brown sugar and cream and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the 2 1/2oz chocolate set aside from cake ingredients, and stir until smooth and shiny. Glaze the cake while still warm. Top with nibs if desired.